Sheet and signature handling mechanism



May 11, 1943. .1. E. MEYER E 2,3 8,

SHEET AND SIGNATURE HANDLING MECHANISM 1 Filed Aug. 5, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 if INVENTOR.

WW BTW J. E. MEYER May 11,1943.

SHEET AND SIGNATURE HANDLING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 5, 1942. 2 sh ts-sheet 2 INVENTOR 4% Patented May 11, 1943 SHEET AND SIGNATURE HANDLING MECHANISM Joseph E. Meyer, Westerly, R. I., assignor to C. B. I. a

Cottrell & Sons Company, Westerly, R.

corporation of Delaware Application August 5, 1942, Serial No. 453,614

9 Claims.

In sheet and signature handling mechanisms of the type in which successive sheets are partially severed from a web traveling at a certain speed, the tabs which connect the sheets to the web have been broken by the pull exerted on the sheets by the grippers or impaling pins carried by the cylinders which rotate at a higher surface speed than the speed of the traveling web.

It has been found that it is not desirable to depend upon the pull of the sheet grippers or impaling pins for breaking the tabs because where the grippers are used a too harsh cam would be required for. operating the grippers and where impaling pins are used the pins would tear away from the partially connected sheets rather than to separate the sheets from the web.

The object of my invention is to provide means independent of the sheet grippers, impaling pins or other sheet engaging devices, for wholly separating the partially separated sheets and thus relieve the sheet engaging devices from the strain of breaking the tabs which connect the sheets with the web.

The tab breaking means comprises a yielding member carried by one of the cylinders in position to press the leading end of the partly severed sheet against the surface of the other cylinder with suflicient pressure to break the tabs between the sheet and its web as the sheet grippers or impaling pins engaging the leading. end of the sheet.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a detail vertical section of a sheet and signature handling mechanism, the tab breaker being shown about to contact the leading end of the partly severed sheet;

Fig. 2 represents a similar view showing the positions of the parts as the tab breaker has separated the sheet from the web and the grippers have grasped the leading end of the sheet;

Fig. 3 represents a similar view showing the parts in the positions, they assume after the tab breaker has moved away from the sheet and the sheet has been forwarded a slight distance by the grippers;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 represent views similar to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 respectively illustrating impaling pins as the sheet engaging devices rather than the grippers;

Fig. 7 represents a detail plan view of the web on an enlarged scale, showing the tabs which connect a partially severed sheet to the web;

Fig. 8 represents a horizontal detail section of the tab breaker; and

Fig. 9 represents a vertical section taken in the plane of the line 99 of Fig. 8.

The upper and lower pairs of feed rolls II, II and l2, l2 feed the web l3 at a predetermined speed. The pair of coacting cutters l4, M are located between the upper and lower pairs of feed rolls, one of which cutters is provided with the usual knives l5, l5 provided with notches (not shown) along their cutting edges for partially severing the successive sheets Hi from the web, leaving tabs l1 connecting the successive sheets to the web. A pair of guides l 8, l8 serve to direct the web [3 through the upper and lower pairs of feed rolls and the intermediate pair of rotary cutters. The pair of sheet carrying cylinders [9, I9 which may be either delivery, collecting, transfer or folding cylinders are shown as the cylinder l9 being provided with grippers 20 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and the corresponding cylinders I9 as provided with impaling pins 2| in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. These rotary sheet carrying cylinders Hi, It or H), l9 are driven at a predetermined higher speed than the speed of the web l3.

A tab breaker 22 extends along the periphery of the cylinder l9 into position to coact with the periphery of the other cylinder l9 or i9 adjacent its sheet engaging device, which tab breaker is pressed outwardly by springs 23 into position to press the leading end of the partly severed sheet l6 against the peripheral surface of the coacting cylinder l9 or lll The continued rotation of these two cylinders l9, ill or I9, l9 will cause the tab breaker to separate the sheet Hi from its web l3 by breaking the tabs l1 and thus causing the sheet to immediately take the surface speed of the said cylinders.

At the same time the grippers 20 or impaling pins 2 I, as the case may be, will engage the leading end of the sheet and convey the sheet around its cylinder I!) or [9.

This tab breaker 22 is provided with notches 24 for accommodating the grippers 20 or impaling pins 2|. This yielding tab breaker 22 is herein shown as slidably mounted in a holder 25,.the springs 23 being located in sockets 26 in said holder. Pins 21 are employed for limiting the outward movement of the tab breaker 22.

It will be seen from the above description that the tab breaking strain is entirely eliminated from the sheet grippers or impaling pins by the introduction of the separate tab breaker 22. It will also be understood that the tab breaker 22 is particularly well adapted for machines handling products of different sizes where the acceleration of the sheet carrying cylinders becomes so excessive as to make it impractical to employ grippers to break the tabs because of the harshness of the gripper cams required for operating such grippers. This tab breaker also makes it possible to operate the cut-off mechanism at much higher speeds than would ordinarily be possible.

It is evident that various changes may be resorted to in the construction, form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiment herein shown and described, but what I claim is: v

1. In a sheet and signature handling machine, means engaging a web traveling at a certain speed for partially severing successive sheets from the web, a pair of cylinders rotating at a higher surface speed than the web, means on one cylinder arranged to press the leading end of a partially separated sheet against the other cylinder to wholly separate the sheet from the web, and means on the said other cylinder for engaging the sheet as it is wholly separated from the web.

2. In a sheet and signature handling machine,

means engaging a web traveling at a certain speed for artially severing successive sheets from the web, a pair of cylinders rotating at a higher surface speed than the web, yielding means on one cylinder arranged to press the leading end of a partially separated sheet against the other cylinder to wholly separat the sheet from the web, and means on the said other cylinder for engaging the sheet as it is wholly separated from the web.

3. In a sheet and signature handling machine, means engaging a web traveling at a certain speed for partially severing successive sheets from the web, a pair of cylinders rotating at a higher surface speed than the web, means on one cylinder arranged to press the leading end of a par tially separated sheet against the other cylinder to wholly separate the sheet from the web, and grippers on the said other cylinder for engaging the sheet as it is wholly separated from the web.

4. In a sheet and signature handling machine, means engaging a web traveling at a certain speed for partially severing successive sheets from the web, a pair of cylinders rotating at a higher surface speed than the web, yielding means on one cylinder arranged to press the leading end of a partially separated sheet against the other cylinder to wholly separate the sheet from the web, and grippers on the said other cylinder for engaging the sheet as it is wholly separated from the web.

5. In a sheet and signature handling machine, means engaging a web traveling at a certain speed for partially severing successive sheets from the web, a pair of cylinders rotating at a higher surface speed than the web, means on one cylinder arranged to press the leading end of a partially separated sheet against the other cylinder to wholly separate the sheet from the web, and impaling pins on said other cylinder for engaging the sheet as it is wholly separated from the web.

6. In a sheet and signature handling machine, means engaging a web traveling at a certain speed for partially severing successive sheets from the web, a pair of cylinders rotating at a higher surface speed than the web, yielding means on one cylinder arranged to press the leadin e f a partially separated sheet against the other cylinder to wholly separate the sheet from the web, and impaling pins on said other cylinder for engaging the sheet as it is wholly separated from the web.

7. In a sheet and signature handling machine, a pair of coacting rotary cutters for partially severing successive sheets from a web traveling at a certain speed, a pair of cylinders rotating at a higher surface speed than the web, a spring seated tab breaker on one cylinder arranged to press the leading end of a partially separated sheet against the peripheral surface of the other cylinder to wholly separat th sheet by breaking the tabs connecting the sheet with the web, and sheet engaging devices on said other cylinder for engagingb the sheet as it is wholly separated from the we t 8. In a sheet and signature handling machine, a pair of coacting rotary cutters for partially severing successive sheets from a web traveling at a certain speed, a pair of cylinders rotating at a higher surface speed than the web, a spring seated tab breaker on one cylinder arranged to press the leading end of a partially separated sheet against the peripheral surface of the other cylinder to wholly separate the sheet by breaking the tabs connecting the sheet with the web, and grippers on said other cylinder for engaging the sheet as it is wholly separated from the web.

9. In a sheet and signature handling machine, a pair of coacting rotary cutters for partially severing successive sheets from a web traveling at a certain speed, a pair of cylinders rotating at a higher surface speed than the web, a spring seated tab breaker on one cylinder arranged to press the leading end of a partially separated sheet against the peripheral surface of the other cylinder to wholly separate the sheet by breaking the tabs connecting the sheet with the web, and impaling pins on said other cylinder for engaging the sheet as it is wholly separated from the web.

JOSEPH E. MEYER. 

